The Development of an Arabic Weight-Loss App Akser Waznk: Qualitative Results

Systematic Review on the Impact of Mobile Applications with Augmented Reality to Improve Health

Physical inactivity represents a significant public health challenge globally. Mobile applications, particularly those utilizing augmented reality (AR), have emerged as innovative tools for promoting physical activity. However, a systematic evaluation of their efficacy is essential. This systematic review aims to evaluate and synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness and benefits of mobile applications with augmented reality in enhancing physical activity and improving health outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, WOS, and the Cochrane Library databases following PRISMA guidelines. Observational and interventional studies evaluating AR mobile applications for physical exercise were included, without restrictions on publication date or language. The search terms included "Mobile Applications", "Augmented Reality", "Physical Fitness", "Exercise Therapy", and "Health Behavior". The methodological quality was assessed using the ROBINS tool. The review identified twelve eligible studies encompassing 5,534,661 participants. The findings indicated significant increases in physical activity and improvements in mental health associated with the use of AR applications, such as Pokémon GO. However, potential risk behaviors were also noted. The evidence suggests that AR interventions can effectively promote physical activity and enhance health. Nonetheless, further research is needed to address limitations and optimize their efficacy. Future interventions should be tailored to diverse cultural contexts to maximize benefits and mitigate risks. AR mobile applications hold promise for promoting physical activity and improving health outcomes. Strategies to optimize their effectiveness and address identified risks should be explored to fully realize their potential.

Smartphone applications for nutrition Support: A systematic review of the target outcomes and main functionalities

INTRODUCTION

A proper nutrition is essential for human life. Recently, special attention on this topic has been given in relation to three health statuses: obesity, malnutrition and specific diseases that can be related to food or treated with specific diets. Mobile technology is often used to assist users that wish to regulate their eating habits, and identifying which fields of application have been explored the most by the app developers and which main functionalities have been adopted can be useful in view of future app developments.

METHODS

We selected 322 articles mentioning nutrition support apps through a literature database search, all of which have undergone an initial screening. After the exclusion of papers that were already reviews, not presenting apps or not focused on nutrition, not relevant or not developed for human subjects, 100 papers were selected for subsequent analyses that aimed at identifying the main treated conditions, outcome measures and functionalities implemented in the Apps.

RESULTS

Of the selected studies, 33 focus on specific diseases, 24 on obesity, 2 on malnutrition and 41 on other targets (e.g., weight/diet control). Type 2 diabetes is the most targeted disease, followed by gestational diabetes, hypertension, colorectal cancer and CVDs which all were targeted by more than one app. Most Apps include self-monitoring and coaching functionalities, educational content and artificial intelligence (AI) tools are slightly less common, whereas counseling, gamification and questionnaires are the least implemented. Body weight and calories/nutrients were the most common general outcome measures, while glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was the most common clinical outcome. No statistically significant differences in the effectiveness of the different functionalities were found.

CONCLUSION

The use of mobile technology to improve nutrition has been widely explored in the last years, especially for weight control and specific diseases like diabetes; however, other food-related conditions such as Irritable Bowel Diseases appear to be less targeted by newly developed smartphone apps and their related studies. All different kinds of functionalities appear to be equally effective, but further specific studies are needed to confirm the results.

Exploring Saudi Individuals' Perspectives and Needs to Design a Hypertension Management Mobile Technology Solution: Qualitative Study

Hypertension is a chronic condition caused by a poor lifestyle that affects patients' lives. Adherence to self-management programs increases hypertension self-monitoring, and allows greater prevention and disease management. Patient compliance with hypertension self-management is low in general; therefore, mobile health applications (mHealth-Apps) are becoming a daily necessity and provide opportunities to improve the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, including hypertension. This research aims to explore Saudi individuals' perspectives and needs regarding designing a hypertension management mobile app to be used by hypertension patients to better manage their illnesses. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Saudi participants to explore their perspectives and views about the needs and requirements in designing a hypertension mobile technology solution, as well as usability and culture in the Saudi context. The study used NVivo to analyze data and divided the themes into four main themes: the app's perceived health benefits, features and usability, suggestions for the app's content, and security and privacy. The results showed that there are many suggestions for improvements in mobile health apps that developers should take into consideration when designing apps. The mobile health apps should include physical activity tracking, related diet information, and reminders, which are promising, and could increase adherence to healthy lifestyles and consequently improve the self-management of hypertension patients. Mobile health apps provide opportunities to improve hypertension patients' self-management and self-monitoring. However, this study asserts that mobile health apps should not share users' data, and that adequate privacy disclosures should be implemented.

User Perceptions of eHealth and mHealth Services Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Diets: Systematic Review

Background

Physical activity and a diet that follows general recommendations can help to prevent noncommunicable diseases. However, most adults do not meet current recommended guidelines, and support for behavior change needs to be strengthened. There is growing evidence that shows the benefits of eHealth and mobile health (mHealth) services in promoting healthy habits; however, their long-term effectiveness is uncertain because of nonadherence.

Objective

We aimed to explore users’ perceptions of acceptability, engagement, and usability of eHealth and mHealth services that promote physical activity, healthy diets, or both in the primary or secondary prevention of noncommunicable diseases.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review with a narrative synthesis. We performed the literature search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL electronic databases in February 2021 and July 2021. The search was limited to papers published in English between 2016 and 2021. Papers on qualitative and mixed method studies that encompassed eHealth and mHealth services for adults with a focus on physical activity, healthy diet, or both in the primary or secondary prevention of noncommunicable diseases were included. Three authors screened the studies independently, and 2 of the authors separately performed thematic analysis of qualitative data.

Results

With an initial finding of 6308 articles and the removal of 427 duplicates, 23 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in the review. Based on users’ preferences, an overarching theme—eHealth and mHealth services provide value but need to be tailored to individual needs—and 5 subthemes—interactive and integrated; varying and multifunctional; easy, pedagogic, and attractive; individualized and customizable; and reliable—emerged.

Conclusions

New evidence on the optimization of digital services that promote physical activity and healthy diets has been synthesized. The findings represent users’ perceptions of acceptability, engagement, and usability of eHealth and mHealth services and show that services should be personalized, dynamic, easily manageable, and reliable. These findings can help improve adherence to digital health-promoting services.

mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia: A scoping review

mHealth interventions can promote healthy movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep). However, recent reviews include few studies from Asia, despite it being home to over 60% of the world population. The aim is to map the current evidence for mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia. Six databases were searched up until August 2021. Included studies described an mHealth intervention targeting one or more movement behaviors, delivered in a country/territory in Asia, to a general population. A total of 3986 unique records were screened for eligibility in duplicate. Eighty studies with 1,413,652 participants were included. Most were randomized (38.8%) or quasi-experimental (27.5%) trials. Studies were from 17 countries/territories (out of 55); majority were high- (65.0%) or upper middle-income (28.7%). Physical activity was targeted most often (93.8%), few targeted sedentary behavior (7.5%), or sleep (8.8%). Most targeted one movement behavior (90.0%), and none targeted all three together. Interventions typically incorporated a single mHealth component (70.0%; app, pedometer, text messages, wearable) and were delivered remotely (66.3%). The average intervention length was 121.8 (SD 127.6) days. mHealth interventions in Asia have primarily targeted physical activity in high- and upper middle-income countries. There are few interventions targeting sedentary behavior or sleep, and no interventions in low-income countries.

Towards Understanding the Usability Attributes of AI-Enabled eHealth Mobile Applications

Mobile application (app) use is increasingly becoming an essential part of our daily lives. Due to their significant usefulness, people rely on them to perform multiple tasks seamlessly in almost all aspects of everyday life. Similarly, there has been immense progress in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, especially deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics. These technologies are now actively being implemented in smartphone apps and healthcare, providing multiple healthcare services. However, several factors affect the usefulness of mobile healthcare apps, and usability is an important one. There are various healthcare apps developed for each specific task, and the success of these apps depends on their performance. This study presents a systematic review of the existing apps and discusses their usability attributes. It highlights the usability models, outlines, and guidelines proposed in previous research for designing apps with improved usability characteristics. Thirty-nine research articles were reviewed and examined to identify the usability attributes, framework, and app design conducted. The results showed that satisfaction, efficiency, and learnability are the most important usability attributes to consider when designing eHealth mobile apps. Surprisingly, other significant attributes for healthcare apps, such as privacy and security, were not among the most indicated attributes in the studies.

Efficacy of lifestyle intervention program for Arab women with prediabetes using social media as an alternative platform of delivery

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

This 6-month interventional study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of different educational programs among Saudi women with prediabetes referred by primary care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 253 (100 group education program [GEP], 84 WhatsApp education program [WEP] and 69 control group [CG]) eligible participants were invited to take part in the study, out of whom 120 received intervention (40 GEP, 43 WEP and 37 CG). GEP participants received focused, individualized lifestyle modification advice with bimonthly support sessions, WEP participants received the same intervention, but delivered through social media (WhatsApp). The CG received standard care. Anthropometrics, biochemical profiles and macronutrient intake were measured at baseline, and 3 and 6 months. The primary end-points were glycated hemoglobin and weight, with lipids and dietary changes as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Glycated hemoglobin significantly improved in all groups post-intervention (GEP baseline 6.0 ± 0.2 vs 6 months 5.5 ± 0.54; P < 0.001, WEP 6.0 ± 0.26 vs 5.3 ± 0.51; P < 0.001, CG 6.0 ± 0.37 vs 5.7 ± 0.49; P < 0.001), but with no difference in between-group comparisons (P = 0.33). Within-group comparisons showed a reduction in weight, but only in the GEP group (90.6 kg ± 27.3 vs 84.8 kg ± 24.3; P < 0.01), and this was significant in between-group comparison (P = 0.003). Significant between-group comparisons with respect to energy (g) intake (P = 0.005) were also observed, as well as triglycerides (P < 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.001), all in favor of the GEP group.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes prevention programs, whether delivered through a focused educational group, social media or standard care, are equally efficacious in improving glycated hemoglobin levels among Saudi women with prediabetes, but a focused educational group was more effective in terms of successful weight loss.